Quality Characteristic
A quality characteristic is a measurable attribute used to evaluate a software product's quality according to recognized quality models.
“A category of quality attributes that bears on work product quality.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Quality Characteristic?
Examples include functionality, reliability, usability, performance efficiency, maintainability, portability, security, and compatibility.
Measurable attribute: Characteristics define specific quality aspects.
Standardized models: Commonly defined by ISO/IEC 25010.
Testing support: Quality characteristics guide non-functional testing.
Real World Example
A regulated product team is preparing a release where Quality characteristic appears in reviews, test design conversations, or defect triage rather than as an isolated glossary word.
The risk is that the team treats Quality characteristic as interchangeable with nearby ISTQB terms. That makes test scope blurry and can lead to weak evidence for the release decision.
The tester anchors the discussion in the official definition, asks where the concept appears in the product, and designs examples that show the difference between Quality characteristic and similar ideas.
The page becomes useful in practice because Quality characteristic is connected to a specific testing decision, not memorized as a detached definition.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Quality characteristic in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Quality characteristic to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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